Undated photo of Bill Stoller holding a glass of wine at Stoller Family Estate in Dayton, Ore. Stoller dies at 74 on April 23, 2025.
Courtesy of Stoller Wine Group
Bill Stoller, the founder of the Stoller Wine Group and co-founder of Express Employment Professionals, died on Wednesday at the age of 74.
In a statement, the Oregon Wine Board described him as a pioneer, an innovator and wine industry supporter.
“Bill was more than a remarkable entrepreneur — he was a generous mentor, a steadfast friend, and a passionate advocate for connecting people with opportunity,” said Gary Mortensen, longtime president of Stoller Wine Group and current director of the Oregon Wine Board.
Stoller grew up on a turkey farm in Yamhill County. As a young man, he got a business degree from Pacific University and an MBA from Portland State University.
In 1983, he co-founded Express Employment Professionals, one of the largest privately-held staffing companies in the world, with more than 800 offices in three countries, according to the Stoller Wine Group.
His business success allowed him to return to the family farm and buy it to grow fine wine. He founded the Stoller Wine Group in 1993.
“His bold 200-year vision and unwavering belief in the potential of the Oregon wine industry is the cornerstone of everything we do at the Stoller Wine Group,” Mortensen said. “He would want us to continue pushing forward to realize his dream.”
Stoller was well-known in the Oregon wine industry for his commitment to sustainability. He established what’s believed to be the world’s first LEED Gold-certified winery.
He was recently awarded the Oregon Wine Board’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the prestigious Diploma of Honor from the Fédération Internationale des Confréries Bachiques, a Paris-based organization promoting wineries and wine tasting.
He is survived by his wife, LaRue Stoller, and their five children.